Try honey for healing: the darker the better for cold and flu

Honey can help when you are suffering from a cold or the flu: it's full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can lessen symptoms, including coughs and irritated throats. When added to food or hot drinks like tea, dark honey has been shown to be the most beneficial. Here's a bit more about it.

Honey is popular as a snack, a natural sweetener and an ingredient in recipes. Honey is also used as medicine, particularly by people who live in climates where temperatures fluctuate and the incidence of colds, flu, throat irritations and respiratory infections are higher. With a long history of medicinal use dating back to the ancient Egyptians because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, honey also contains a number of vitamins and minerals that will help give you more energy.

• The vitamins found in honey include amino acids, B6, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and thiamin; and the minerals include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.

Honey is available in a wide range of colours, flavours and aromas. It comes in various forms including liquid, section, comb, chunk and creamed varieties.

• Although most people think of honey as being a clear and golden liquid, honey can range in colour from white to amber.
• Darker honeys, like buckwheat honey, are known to have greater illness-fighting qualities because they contain a higher level of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants depending on the type of flowers from which the bees get their nectar.
• Researchers at the University of Illinois found that honey made from buckwheat flowers contains 20 times the amount of antioxidants as compared to honey made from sage flowers.

When purchasing honey, a good rule of thumb is to go by the colour: the darker the honey, the more antibacterial and antioxidant benefits the honey will provide for you.

• In fact, a Penn State University study conducted by U.S. researchers found that when buckwheat honey is given to children, it is more effective than over-the-counter cold medications.

When you're already sick, the last thing you want to worry about is consuming foods or medicines that make you feel worse. According to the Canadian Honey Council, honey is one of the safest foods.

• Compared to other foods that are known to spoil due to the presence of harmful bacteria, honey is unique because the bacteria is unable to survive in it. However, you should be aware that honey should not be given to babies under one year of age because it is known to cause botulism in infants.